Dwarf (Elara)
Dwarves are a humanoid race, one of the three primary races on Elara along with Men and Elves. Most dwarves are renowned for their distrust of magic, and for their skill as axe-wielding warriors and blacksmiths. They are short, stocky, and fairly strong. Although dwarves are spread across the world, they are close to one another and have spawned a universal reputation for ruggedness, practicality, and unwavering loyalty. Most groups favour the rocky highlands and deep caverns of the mountains. They are superior craftsmen and they love to mine the earth for precious gems and metals to forge into weapons of strength and artifacts of beauty and power. Variations from the standard dwarf are commonly called subraces, which include hill dwarves, gray dwarves (wild dwarves), mountain dwarves, deep dwarves, and gnovin dwarves. Description Dwarves average over four feet in height, with squat, broad bodies. Male dwarves grow thick facial hair. It is often a sign of extreme sadness and mourning for a dwarf to shave his beard. A popular misconception has it that female dwarves also grow beards. However, this is not the case. Female dwarves do not grow facial hair at all. Male dwarves sometimes braid their beards. Both genders also have long hair, and usually wear heavy garb with colourful hooded cloaks. Dwarves are sober, quiet, possessive, suspicious, pugnacious, introspective, and often very greedy. Tenacious warriors, they fight without quarter and never retreat. A unique aspect of the dwarven species is their lack of fear...of anything. Each dwarf treats his kind as brothers, and non-dwarves as lesser beings. They enter into agreements with extreme care and honour them to the letter. Culture Dwarves are superb miners and craftsmen, and unsurpassed stoneworkers. They live in tightly knit groups and favour underground cities which are usually cut into rugged hills or mountains. They tend to fear open water, and do not normally swim. They have tremendous endurance, and can see up to 100' in the dimmest light, 10' in total darkness. They also have superior orienting abilities underground, always knowing the direction of true north and the approximate elevation of their location. While only roughly one-third of the race is female, dwarven marriages are monogamous. Dwarves are extremely suspicious of mages and elves. They generally scoff at the ways of elves or other conjurors, preferring instead to use such power in the making of permanent physical items. Dwarven Subraces Deep dwarves Deep dwarves have been so named because they inhabit subterranean caverns located kilometers below ground. Deep dwarves are a little less fearful of magic than other dwarves, as they tend to utilize it on a regular basis to help them grow food, build dwellings, light their way, and most of all mine metals, minerals and precious gems. Most Deep dwarf habitations are deep underground, but a few are near (or very rarely 'on') the surface. Usually the near-surface habitations are sparsely populated, and are used as a connection point between the surface species and their more regularly inhabited underground cities. Gnovin dwarves Gnovin dwarves are thought to be the offspring of gnomes and dwarves, though they are not (due to size difference more than enything else). They are the lowest caste in dwarven society, found all over Elara, living in filth and squalor in places that had been abandoned by most other living creatures, including animals. They are generally shunned and treated as outcast by other types of dwarves. Like other dwarves, they are clannish, and several clans live together, following the rule of their chieftains or one particular powerful leader. Females lack whiskers on their chins but have them on their cheeks, and may wear tattered overskirts wrapped around their waists extending to their knees. Despite their wretched appearance, gnovin dwarves generally lead a cheerful existence, though they are incredibly unintelligent creatures. Hill dwarves The standard dwarven race. Mountain dwarves These dwarves live deeper underground and have fairer skin than hill dwarves. Wild dwarves Short, primitive dwarves found in the deep jungles and forests of the Southern Wilderlands. Half-Breeds Dwarves can breed with humans to produce piris, who are sterile offspring that share the strength and resiliency of dwarves with the size of humans. Category:Elara Species *